Valued at around £8 million by Mainz, the striker was one of the few bright spots for the Blue Samurai at the World Cup, netting for Japan in their 4-1 loss to Colombia in the group phase of the tournament.

The national team may have underwhelmed in Brazil but Okazaki has been consistently impressive, scoring 39 goals in 71 internationals to date.

The goal served as an example to fans of either Arsenal or Liverpool as to what they can expect from the Bundesliga hotshot, should he finally seal a dream move to the Premier League.

In the meantime, Okazaki will be determined to continue impressing any watching eyes at the upcoming Asian Cup in Australia.

Due to be played in January 2015, Japan have been drawn in a group alongside Jordan, Iraq and Palestine and will be expected to progress to the knockout stages, where they could well meet the Socceroos once again.

And on the basis of this fine strike, Okazaki could make plenty more football headlines in the weeks and months to come.

Jack Beresford

Jack is a 27-year-old writer with experience in writing about sport in a range of guises. He’s something of a statto when it comes to soccer and has a passion for English football at all levels, as well as Serie A and the Bundesliga.